U.S. patent application number 11/382920 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-05 for computer case.
This patent application is currently assigned to POSIFLEX INC.. Invention is credited to Tsung-Kan Cheng.
Application Number | 20070077826 11/382920 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37453589 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070077826 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cheng; Tsung-Kan |
April 5, 2007 |
COMPUTER CASE
Abstract
A computer case includes a lower and an upper cover pivotally
connected at a front end to each other via two shafts. The lower
and upper covers are provided near two lateral rear ends with an
elastic fastening mechanism each for detachably locking a rear end
of the lower and upper covers when they are closed to each other. A
set of computer equipment is mounted to inner surfaces of the lower
and upper covers. When the upper cover is pivotally lifted from the
lower cover to fully open the computer case, the computer equipment
can be easily accessed to facilitate repair or maintenance
thereof.
Inventors: |
Cheng; Tsung-Kan; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PAI PATENT & TRADEMARK LAW FIRM
1001 FOURTH AVENUE, SUITE 3200
SEATTLE
WA
98154
US
|
Assignee: |
POSIFLEX INC.
Taipei Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
37453589 |
Appl. No.: |
11/382920 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/701 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/181 20130101;
G06F 1/183 20130101; H05K 5/0013 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/701 |
International
Class: |
H01R 13/514 20060101
H01R013/514 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 5, 2005 |
TW |
94217253 |
Claims
1. A computer case, comprising: a lower cover including a bottom
plate, a lower front panel upwardly extended from a front edge of
said bottom plate, and two lower lateral walls upwardly extended
from two lateral edges of said bottom plate; and an upper cover
including a top plate, an upper front panel downwardly extended
from a front edge of said top plate, and two upper lateral walls
downwardly extended from two lateral edges of said top plate,
wherein said lower and said upper cover are pivotally connected to
each other at front ends of said lower and upper lateral walls via
two shafts, such that said upper cover is upwardly or downwardly
pivoted about said two shafts to lift from or close onto said lower
cover, and said lower and said upper cover are provided near rear
ends of each pair of said lower and upper lateral walls with an
elastic fastening mechanism for locking a rear end of said lower
and said upper cover when said upper cover is closed onto said
lower cover; and a set of computer equipment being mounted to inner
surfaces of said top plate and/or said bottom plate.
2. The computer case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic
fastening mechanism includes a flat spring provided on each said
lower lateral wall at a predetermined position, and said flat
spring having an outwardly projected head; and a retaining hole
provided on each said upper lateral wall at a position
corresponding to said outward projected head of said flat spring;
and said outward projected heads of said flat springs on said lower
lateral walls being detachably engaged with said retaining holes on
said upper lateral walls when said upper cover is closed onto said
lower cover.
3. The computer case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic
fastening mechanism includes a flat spring provided on each said
upper lateral wall at a predetermined position, and said flat
spring having an outward projected head; and a retaining hole
provided on each said lower lateral wall at a position
corresponding to said outwardly projected head of said flat spring;
and said outwardly projected heads of said flat springs on said
upper lateral walls being detachably engaged with said retaining
holes on said lower lateral walls when said upper cover is closed
onto said lower cover.
4. The computer case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower
cover is provided on an outer surface of each said lower lateral
wall with at least one sideward projected pin; and said upper cover
is provided on an inner surface of each said upper lateral wall
with at least one receiving seat corresponding to said at least one
sideward projected pin, such that when said upper cover and said
lower cover are closed together, said sideward projected pins are
abutted against and engaged with said receiving seats.
5. The computer case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper
cover is provided on an inner surface of each said upper lateral
wall with at least one sideward projected pin; and said lower cover
is provided on an outer surface of each said lower lateral wall
with at least one receiving seat corresponding to said at least one
sideward projected pin, such that when said upper cover and said
lower cover are closed together, said sideward projected pins are
abutted against and engaged with said receiving seats.
6. The computer case as claimed in claim 1, wherein said set of
computer case equipment includes at least a power supply, a main
board, a battery box, a first hard disk box, and a second hard disk
box.
7. The computer case as claimed in claim 6, wherein said power
supply and said main board are mounted to an inner surface of said
bottom plate of said lower cover.
8. The computer case as claimed in claim 6, wherein said battery
box, said first hard disk box, and said second hard disk box are
mounted to an inner surface of said top plate of said upper
cover.
9. The computer case as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first hard
disk box is provided at two lateral sides with a laterally
outwardly extended tab each, and said top plate is provided on the
inner surface with retaining slots corresponding to said two tabs,
and said tabs are adapted to detachably engage with said retaining
slots.
10. The computer case as claimed in claim 8, wherein two holding
plates are provided at predetermined positions on said battery box
and the inner surface of one said upper lateral wall, and said
holding plates together with the inner surface of said top plate
define a receiving space therebetween, wherein said top plate is
provided on the inner surface near a rear edge thereof with an
elastic hooking plate, which is vertically protruded from said top
plate, and said second hard disk box is provided at a position
corresponding to said elastic hooking plate with a retaining hole,
whereby when said second hard disk box is mounted in said receiving
space defined by said holding plates and said top plate, said
retaining hole on said second hard disk box is engaged with said
elastic hooking plate on said top plate to quickly detachably
connect said second hard disk box from said top plate.
11. The computer case as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
rear decorative panel for closing a rear open side of said mutually
closed upper and lower covers.
12. The computer case as claimed in claim 11, wherein said rear
decorative panel is provided at an upper edge with at least one
insertion plate, and said upper cover is correspondingly provided
on said top plate with at least one insertion recess adapted to
engage with said insertion plate, wherein said rear decorative
panel is also provided at each lateral end with an elastic arm
having a sideward protruded key provided on an outer side thereof,
and each of said two upper lateral walls is provided at a position
corresponding to said key of said elastic arm with a key hole for
detachably engaging with said key.
13. The computer case as claimed in claim 12, wherein said rear
decorative panel is provided on two lateral inner surfaces with a
stop each, which is located immediately behind an inner side of
each said elastic fastening mechanism to prevent said elastic
fastening mechanism from unexpectedly loosening from a locked
state.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is based on, and claims priority
from, Taiwan Application Serial Number 94217253, filed Oct. 5,
2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference
herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a computer case, and more
particularly, to a computer case that can be easily assembled and
opened to facilitate repair or maintenance of computer equipment
mounted therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Generally, a conventional computer case includes a cabinet
with five sides, an open front, and a front cover screwed to the
open front of the cabinet. The cabinet defines an internal space,
in which necessary equipment and components, such as power supply,
main board, hard disk, etc., are sequentially mounted from bottom
to top. The conventional computer case is not conveniently
assembled and does not enable an operator to conveniently repair or
maintain the components mounted therein.
[0004] To assemble the conventional computer case, the operator has
to use a tightening tool, such as a screwdriver, to mount and
tighten a large number of screws one by one to connect the front
cover to the open front of the cabinet. A lot of labor and time are
required to complete the assembling of the conventional computer
case. When it is necessary to repair or maintain the components
mounted in the computer case, it takes the operator even more time
to loosen the screws and separate the front cover from the cabinet
and then tighten the screws to assemble the front cover to the
cabinet again. Moreover, the screws might be lost during the
process of removing and mounting the front cover.
[0005] Since the cabinet has five sides to define a small internal
space, the necessary components must be sequentially stacked in the
cabinet from bottom to top. When any one of the stacked components
is dismounted from or remounted to the cabinet, other components
immediately located above and below that component are inevitably
affected to cause great inconvenience to the operator. Moreover,
even with the front cover removed from the cabinet, the internal
space of the cabinet is still in a half-closed state, which hinders
the operator from conveniently visually checking and manually
handling the components sequentially stacked in the cabinet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to
provide a computer case that can be easily assembled and opened to
simplify and facilitate the repair or maintenance of computer
equipment mounted in the computer case.
[0007] To achieve the above and other objects, the computer case
according to the present invention includes a lower and an upper
cover pivotally connected at a front end to each other via two
shafts, so that the upper cover can be turned about the shafts to
lift from or close onto the lower cover. The lower cover includes a
bottom plate, a lower front panel upwardly extended from a front
edge of the bottom plate, and two lower lateral walls upwardly
extended from two lateral edges of the bottom plate. The upper
cover includes a top plate, an upper front panel downwardly
extended from a front edge of the top plate, and two upper lateral
walls downwardly extended from two lateral edges of the top plate.
The lower and upper covers are provided near rear ends of each pair
of lower and upper lateral walls with an elastic fastening
mechanism for detachably locking a rear end of the lower and upper
covers when they are closed to each other. A set of computer
equipment is mounted on inner surfaces of the lower and upper
covers. When the upper cover is pivotally lifted from the lower
cover to fully open the computer case, the computer equipment can
be easily accessed to facilitate repair or maintenance thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a computer case
according to the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a partially assembled perspective view of the
computer case of FIG. 1 with an upper cover thereof in an opened
position;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a partially assembled perspective view of the
computer case of FIG. 1 with the upper cover thereof in a closed
position;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the circled area A
of FIG. 3;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the circled area B
of FIG. 3;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a fully assembled perspective view of the computer
case of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line C-C of
FIG. 6;
[0016] FIG. 8 is a front view of a first hard disk box mounted in
the computer case of the present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 9 is an assembled sectional view showing the mounting
of a second hard disk box in the computer case of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Reference is made to FIG. 1 that is an exploded perspective
view of a computer case according to the present invention, and to
FIGS. 2 and 3 that are partially assembled perspective views of the
computer case of FIG. 1 in an opened and a closed state,
respectively. As shown, the computer case of the present invention
mainly includes a lower cover 1 and an upper cover 2.
[0019] The lower cover 1 includes a bottom plate 11, a lower front
panel 12 upwardly extended from a front edge of the bottom plate
11, and two lower lateral walls 13 separately upwardly extended
from two lateral edges of the bottom plate 11.
[0020] The upper cover 2 includes a top plate 21, an upper front
panel 22 downwardly extended from a front edge of the top plate 21,
and two upper lateral walls 23 separately downwardly extended from
two lateral edges of the top plate 21.
[0021] The upper cover 2 and the lower cover 1 are pivotally
connected to each other near front ends of the lower and upper
lateral walls 13, 23 via two shafts 3, so that the upper cover 2 is
upwardly or downwardly pivotable about the shafts 3 to open or
close the lower cover 1.
[0022] An elastic fastening mechanism G is provided near rear ends
of each pair of the lower and the upper lateral walls 13, 23. When
the upper cover 2 and the lower cover 1 are closed together, the
elastic fastening mechanism G automatically locks up a rear end of
the lower and upper covers 1, 2.
[0023] Reference is also made to FIG. 4 that is an enlarged
sectional view of the circled area A of FIG. 3. In a preferred
embodiment, the elastic fastening mechanism G includes a flat
spring 14 having an outwardly projected head mounted near a front
edge of each lower lateral wall 13 of the lower cover 1, and a
retaining hole 24 formed near a front edge of each upper lateral
wall 23 of the upper cover 2 corresponding to the outwardly
projected head of the flat spring 14. When the upper cover 2 is
closed onto the lower cover 1, the outwardly projected head of the
flat spring 14 elastically extends through the corresponding
retaining hole 24 to lock the upper cover 2 to the lower cover
1.
[0024] It is also possible to provide the flat spring 14 and the
retaining hole 24 on the upper cover 2 and the lower cover 1,
respectively. That is, the flat spring 14 may be provided near the
front edge of each upper lateral wall 23, and the retaining hole 24
may be correspondingly provided near the front edge of each lower
lateral wall 13 to provide the same locking effect.
[0025] Reference is made to FIG. 5 that is an enlarged sectional
view of the circled area B of FIG. 3. The lower cover 1 is provided
on an outer surface of each lower lateral wall 13 with at least one
sideward projected pin 15; and the upper cover 2 is provided on an
inner surface of each upper lateral wall 23 with at least one
receiving seat 25 corresponding to the at least one pin 15. When
the upper cover 2 and the lower cover 1 are closed together, the
pins 15 and the receiving seats 25 abut against and engage with one
another to ensure a stable connection of the lower and upper covers
1, 2 to each other.
[0026] Again, the pins 15 and the receiving seats 25 may be
exchanged in their positions. That is, it is also possible to
provide the pins 15 on the inner surfaces of the upper lateral
walls 23, and the receiving seats 25 on the outer surfaces of the
lower lateral walls 13 to provide the same stable connecting
effect.
[0027] Although not shown in the drawings, the lower and/or upper
cover 1, 2 are provided at a rear edge with a rear panel. When the
lower cover 1 and the upper cover 2 are closed together, the rear
panel closes a rear open side defined by the lower and upper covers
1, 2. However, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of the
present invention, the rear panel may be a rear decorative panel 4
detachably connected to the rear open side of the closed lower and
upper covers 1, 2.
[0028] The rear decorative panel 4 is provided at an upper edge
with at least one insertion plate 41, and the upper cover 2 is
correspondingly provided on the top plate 21 with at least one
insertion recess 26 adapted to engage with the insertion plate 41.
The rear decorative panel 4 is also provided at two lateral ends
with an elastic arm 42 each (see FIG. 2). The elastic arm 42 is
provided on an outer side with a sideward protruded key 43, and
each of the two upper lateral walls 23 is provided at a position
corresponding to the key 43 with a key hole 27 for detachably
engaging with the key 43. Further, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the
rear decorative panel 4 is provided on each of two lateral inner
surfaces with a stop 44. When the rear decorative panel 4 is
assembled to the rear open side defined by the mutually closed
lower and upper covers 1, 2, the stops 44 are immediately located
behind inner surfaces of the two flat springs 14 provided near the
front ends of the two lower lateral walls 13, preventing the flat
springs 14 from unexpectedly loosening from the retaining holes 24
on the two upper lateral walls 23.
[0029] A set of computer equipment 5, including, for example, a
power supply 51, a main board 52, a battery box 53, a first hard
disk box 54 for, for example, a 2.5'' hard disk, and a second hard
disk box 55 for, for example, a 3.5'' hard disk, is mounted to
inner surfaces of the bottom plate 11 and/or the top plate 21. For
instance, the power supply 51 and the main board 52 may be mounted
to the inner surface of the bottom plate 11, while the battery box
53, the first hard disk box 54, and the second hard disk box 55 are
mounted to the inner surface of the top plate 21.
[0030] To enable easy access to the hard disks, the first and the
second hard disk box 54, 55 are connected to the top plate 21 via
an easy-on/off structure.
[0031] Reference is made to FIG. 8 along with FIGS. 1 and 2. The
first hard disk box 54 is provided at two lateral sides with a
laterally outward extended tab 56 each, and the top plate 21 is
provided on the inner surface with retaining slots 28 corresponding
to the two tabs 56, such that the tabs 56 and the retaining slots
28 are easily detachably engaged with one another.
[0032] Reference is made to FIG. 9 along with FIGS. 1 and 2. Two
holding plates 57 are provided at predetermined positions on the
battery box 53 and the inner surface of one upper lateral wall 23.
These holding plates 57 together with the inner surface of the top
plate 21 define a receiving space 58 between them; and the top
plate 21 is provided on the inner surface near a rear edge thereof
with an elastic hooking plate 29, which is vertically protruded
from the top plate 21. The second hard disk box 55 is provided at a
position corresponding to the elastic hooking plate 29 with a
retaining hole 59. When the second hard disk box 55 is mounted in
the receiving space 58, the retaining hole 59 is easily engaged
with the elastic hooking plate 29 to detachably connect the second
hard disk box 55 to the top plate 21.
[0033] To assemble the computer case of the present invention, the
upper cover 2 is first closed to the lower cover 1 by downwardly
turning the upper cover 2 about the two shafts 3. At this point,
the retaining holes 24 on the upper cover 2 engage with the
outwardly projected heads of the flat springs 14 on the lower cover
1 (see FIG. 4), and the receiving seats 25 on the upper cover 2 are
abutted against and engaged with the sideward projected pins 15 on
the lower cover 1 (see FIG. 5). Then, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7,
the rear decorative panel 4 is assembled to the rear open side of
the closed lower and upper covers 1, 2 by inserting the at least
one insertion plate 41 on the rear decorative panel 4 into the
corresponding insertion recess 26 on the upper cover 2, and
engaging the laterally protruded keys 43 on the two elastic arms 42
at two lateral ends of the rear decorative panel 4 with the two key
holes 27 on the upper cover 2 to complete the assembling of the
computer case of the present invention.
[0034] When it is necessary to repair or maintain the computer
equipment 5 inside the computer case, the keys 43 are first
depressed to disengage them form the key holes 27, and the rear
decorative panel 4 can be easily removed from the closed lower and
upper covers 1, 2. Thereafter, the outwardly projected heads of the
flat springs 14 are depressed to disengage them from the retaining
holes 24, and the upper cover 2 can be easily turned about the two
shafts 3 and lifted from the lower cover 1. Then, both the lower
and the upper covers 1, 2 are in a fully opened state, and the
computer equipment 5 can be conveniently accessed to facilitate
necessary repair and/or maintenance thereof.
[0035] The present invention has been described with a preferred
embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *